proverb · Words worth keeping
A bad work man blames his tools.
A bad work man blames his tools.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pictures an unsuccessful worker blaming their tools. It questions an explanation that shifts responsibility away from skill or conduct.
What the words are saying
The retained phrase bad work man supplies a label rather than evidence. A useful application can examine both method and equipment before assigning responsibility. The saying does not prove tools are always adequate or make a complaint about unsuitable equipment dishonest.
Everyday example
A team checks the equipment and the method after a poor result instead of assuming either explains everything.
When to use it
Use it to assess responsibility using evidence about tools and conduct.
What it does not mean
Tools can genuinely be unsuitable, and a poor result does not settle the cause.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 207; PDF page 34
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.